I have kept a file on my grandson, Dayna Stephens since he started playing music. I have been going thru my file and found the wonderful article you wrote. I wanted to let you know that Dayna who is now living in New Jersey is being scheduled for a kidney transplant in mid-Aug. His aunt who also grew up in the Bay Area will be his donor. These last few years have been difficult for Dayna who continues to travel when physically able. A fund has been set up to cover the costs for his aunt whose health coverage does not cover her medical costs and for him who will no longer be eligible for Medicare once he receives the new kidney. Thank you again for your article.

Hello this is Zachary Watkins. I simply want to thank Sam Lefebvre for sharing our story and music with your readers! Big Up!

Some quick clarifications... Mom (Sara Waters) is also a powerful and esteemed artist, and Cornish College was a deep art school experience. I recently found a cassette recording of my first string quartet rehearsal from 2000 and immediately began balling.... I was 20 when taking my first Composition Seminar taught by Jarrad Powell. That semester Jarrad invited a string quartet to collaborate with our class. The main goal of the class was to compose for string quartet in collaboration with the Dance Departments Choreography Seminar student choreographers! I can be heard saying to the musicians "BPM is 120" and the score itself was xeroxed from a notation notepad that had so many eraser marks that it more resembled a carbon paper copy.... Any wayz! Dedicated and engaged artists teach at Cornish. However, being involved in academic music programs for 15 years plus, I notice an uncomfortable aesthetic hierarchy favoring classical music over other traditions and improvisation is still underrepresented as a powerful expressive approach. The Mills and Cornish music programs attempt to tackle some of these concerns head on by hiring innovators, programming radical works and by accepting critters like me into their programs... We also need more diversity in the student body and professorships.

These are my bros my day one's one day I will be back up there with you making it rain on big booty killing the stage congratulations on the come up keep doing what you doing yo give me inspiration more and more everyday just knowing that you're my bro hey is good to see that is yall are making something out of what we started so long ago ant envasion Academy a.k.a urban renaissance GOP is all I know now all because of them long nights on Vallejo Street at Sucker Free studio hella gone off Bacardi;bo soda and hella bo blunt's and posting up with og Steve a big rob SB AND MAN And to the rest of the squad G.O G.O Yours truly CaDi

What a well written and insightful piece. It's so hard! The pull between a good gig and a gig that allows you to pay rent. I suppose it's having a balance so that you can be an artist and play amazing muisc, but also SURIVIVE. That's if the gigs are out there at all that is, regardless of whether they're artisitically credible ones.. This blog is also quite illuminating - thought I'd link it for you guys. http://www.functioncentral.co.uk/blog/2015/05/how_to_make_living_playing_jazz/

Clown and Green Day played there and there were only two people in the audience. What happened to Marshal Stacks? It used to be such a ghetto around there. The creek project really helped bring back that neighborhood.